The first of two (!) New Moons in Leo is this Sunday, July 23rd at 2:46am PST at 0 degrees of Leo. We’ll have a second New Moon in Leo (also total solar eclipse) on August 27th, making this doubly a LEO time of year.

This New Moon is made extra potent by a conjunction to Mars which lends power, dynamism, and determination to the Leo impetus to set out on our own unique path, and playfully create in a way that is true to ourselves. The message is clear: forget what other people want or expect of you, give up trying to please others; the path to joy is through expressing yourself in a way that is true to you. And that NECESSARILY means disappointing others and/or facing criticism.

It’s impossible to be creative and original, to have a unique perspective without ruffling some feathers. As long as you speak up there will always be someone who disapproves or at least sees things differently. What if we could see this kind of opposition as a positive indicator that we’re on track? It means we are expressing ourselves, rather than staying quiet in order to keep the peace.

Mars offers us this kind of confidence. Mars propels us even in the face of difficulty. Find the sword’s edge of exalted Martian energy, confidence, motivation, and drive. When we express a planet’s energy in the highest way, with integrity and awareness, then the energy doesn’t need to express itself in negative ways. It’s when there’s no outlet for the energy that it’s less desirable manifestations arise. In this case if we hide our gifts, stifle our creativity, conform and compromise--ignoring Leo’s invitation to the creative life, then the energy is liable to spill over into arrogance, aggression, petty fighting, need for approval, egocentrism, or excessive partying and pleasure seeking.

An approaching Venus-Saturn opposition may feel heavy as it challenges our relationships and finances, but it offers the gift of seeing these areas of life more clearly and realistically, and supports us in making changes that are beneficial in the long run.

The Moon inconjunct Neptune and Pluto in the hours following the New Moon suggests that an adjustment is in order as we move into the lunar month of Leo. We’re asked to alter our emotional connection to Neptune--our means of accessing oceanic, unitive consciousness, our means of soothing ourselves, of finding solace. Neptune’s troubles often take the form of addiction, escapism, self-sacrifice, martyrdom.

We’re asked to examine our subtle relationship to substances, television, sex, approval, appearances, devices, etc. None of these things are inherently bad, it’s our relationship to them that it’s important to investigate. The key question is why we engage in some behaviour. We can use our intuition to know whether or not we’re in alignment.

We’re also asked to shift our connection to Pluto--to the deep unconscious, the soul, our personal power. Pluto represents the aspects of ourselves that we’ve repressed, that we’ve pushed out of sight because we are too ashamed of or too afraid to look at. Seeing ourselves clearly requires enormous honesty and self knowledge. And it’s infinitely easier when we harness the forgiveness and compassion of Neptune.

We all have various addictions and defences and habits that we’ve adopted in order to survive. They were adaptive at the time. It’s damaging when we judge ourselves for the way we are, for the ways we’ve learned to survive. Harness Neptune’s capacity for love, compassion, and forgiveness to forgive yourself for your addictions and habits. Let’s be grateful for the ingenious ways we’ve managed to survive in this crazy world, let’s acknowledge how far we’ve come, what good work we’ve done to maintain some spark of soul within a world that often seeks to stifle it. Let’s thank our addictions, habits, defences for the protection and relief they’ve offered us. Let’s ask for guidance and support in finding another way, one that is more true to ourselves, one that expresses Neptune’s highest potential for connectedness and love.

These adjustments: courageously, honestly, compassionately witnessing ourselves more fully, forgiving ourselves and accepting our own personal power--will allow us to more fully to accept the gifts of Leo’s highest expression--joy, laughter, fun, and creative fulfillment.